nor the Achaean city, from whence you, not by justice, but bragging about Argos; just as you now speak, drove these men, sitting at the altars as suppliants; for if this shall be, and they ratify your words, I no longer know this Athens as free.  But I know their disposition and nature; they will rather die; for among virtuous men, disgrace is considered before life.  Enough of the city; for indeed it is an invidious thing to praise it too much; and often I know myself I have been oppressed at being overpraised:  but I wish to say to you that it is necessary for you to save these men, since you are ruler over this land.  Pittheus was son of Pelops and AEthra, daughter of Pittheus, and your father Theseus was born of her.  And again I trace for you their descent:  Hercules was son of Jupiter and Alcmena, and she was the child of the daughter of Pelops; so your father and theirs must be fellow-cousins.  Thus you, O Demophoon, are related to them by birth; and, besides this connection, I will tell you for what you are bound to requite the children.  For I say, I formerly, when shield-bearer to their father, sailed with Theseus after the belt,[7] the cause of much slaughter, and from the murky recesses of hell did he bring forth your father.  All Greece bears witness to this; for which things they beseech you to return a kindness, and that they may not be yielded up, nor be driven from this land, torn from your Gods by violence; for this would be disgraceful to you by yourself, and an evil to the city,[8] that suppliant relations, wanderers—­alas for the misery! look on them, look—­should be dragged away by force.  But I beseech you, and offer you suppliant garlands, by your hands and your chin, do not dishonor the children of Hercules, having received them in your power; but be thou a relation to them, be a friend, father, brother, master; for all these things are better than [for them] to fall into the power of the Argives.

CHOR.  Hearing of these men’s misfortunes, I pitied them, O king! and now particularly I have witnessed nobleness overcome by fortune; for these men, being sons of a noble father, are undeservedly unhappy.

DE.  Three ways of misfortune urge me, O Iolaus, not to reject these suppliants.  The greatest, Jupiter, at whose altars you sit, having this procession of youths with you; and my relationship to them, and because I am bound of old that they should fare well at my hands, in gratitude to their father; and the disgrace,[9] which one ought exceedingly to regard.  For if I permitted this altar to be violated by force by a strange man, I shall not seem to inhabit a free country.  But I fear to betray my suppliants to the Argives; and this is nearly as bad as the noose.  But I wish you had come with better fortune; but still, even now, fear not that any one shall drag you and these children by force from this altar.  And do thou, going to Argos, both tell this to Eurystheus; and besides that, if he has any charge against these strangers, he shall meet with justice; but you shall never drag away these men.